Haaland's controversial second-half strike proved the difference as Manchester City beat Manchester United despite playing the majority of the match a man light following Phil Foden's first-half red card.
Speaking to BBC's Match of the Day, the striker said his relatively quiet start to the game did not concern him.
"That's my job, let's be honest," Haaland said. "People were probably saying about me rarely touching the ball in the first half but that's fine. I didn't touch the ball for the first 20 minutes, but why would I, I had nothing to do.
"It's a patient game and I have to wait for the right moment. I managed to do that and I'm happy."
Asked about the controversy surrounding his goal, which was initially ruled out for offside before being awarded following a VAR review, Haaland explained his reaction in the moment.
"If it's a clear offside it goes quickly, five seconds. I barely go offside so I didn't think it was me," he said. "I looked over to Enzo Maresca and he gave me a smirk and I thought 'right, so I was moving closer to our fans.'"
The Norwegian also reflected on how City adapted to playing with ten men for the majority of the second half, a situation that forced a different approach from Maresca's side going forward.
"When you go down it is a different approach in how we managed to stick together, keep the ball and it was great celebrations - it's always nice to beat them," Haaland said.
Haaland compared the result to City's 2-1 win at Anfield in February, when he scored a stoppage-time penalty to seal victory over Liverpool in similarly dramatic circumstances during a tense run-in.
"This is a brand new feeling I've not had before, winning a derby with 10 men," he said. "It was close to us winning at Liverpool. You're working your socks off because you're down to 10 men so it's a different kind of feeling."
The win kept Manchester City's unbeaten start to the season intact and further extended Haaland's remarkable record of scoring against their fiercest rivals since his arrival in the Premier League from Borussia Dortmund.